It is election time in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Consider the inflationary trends in the country as, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan, the estimated cost for this general election will be Rs 47 billion, which is an increase by 261.52pc in a span of just 10 years. This is just the expenditure for organizing the show and does not include the expenditure by different candidates and parties competing in this contest.

The main reasons for this increase include inflation, increase in the number of voters and subsequently of polling stations and use of technology. Increased security threats also require greater manpower and thus add to the overall costs of elections. There is even speculation that overall costs might end up even higher and some estimate it could go up to Rs 49 billion when all is said and done.

What about the candidates and their expenditure for their campaign expenses? The permissible limit is Rs10........

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